Safety key cabinet



c. i. POULSEN ET AL SAFETY KEY CABINET Filed May 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor;

Patented Aug. 6, 1946 UN ITED sT-Ares PATENT OFFICE SAFETY :KEY CABINET Charles I. Poulsen and'HenryRRose,

Akron,

Application May 26, 1945, Serial No. 595,956

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a safety device for the protection of automobile or other keys and has for an object to provide a cabinet for keys from which the keys cannot be removed by unauthorized persons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet for a large number of keys and means whereby the keys may be collectively locked or released.

A further object of this invention is to provide the combination of a cabinet with keys attached to chains which may be safely held against unauthorized removal, andexposed means on each key chain for indicating the person or car to whom or which the key belongs.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of our safety key cabinet,

Figure 2 is a similar view partly broken away and showing certain parts in adjusted position,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 Of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a similar View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a broken away detail of a lock member.

In the accompanying drawings as above enumerated and in the following specification, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout and in which In, refers to our safety key cabinet which consists of a box ll, of any desired shape orsize depending upon the number of keys to be held, or the place it is to be located. This box is closed with fixedly secured walls l2, etc., on all sides. The top or face walls l3, being provided with columns of spaced bores l4, I5, etc., extending therethrough, from which extend slots l5, terminating in transverse T-slots or grooved recesses ll.

Slidably mounted upon tracks l8 and I9, is a lock plate 20, which is held against the under surface 2|, of the face wall l3, by said tracks. This plate 20, is provided with bores 22, of the same diameter as that of the bores l4, and extending slots 23, of the same dimensions as that of the slots IS. The side 24, of said plate 20, has attached centrally thereto a push member 25, the edge 26, of which projects beyond the edge 21, of plate 20.

The wall l2, of the cabinet H, is provided Ohio with a door 28, hinged at 29, to swing outwardly only and away from the wall l3, and against the edge 30, of which the edge 26, of member 25, is held, by means of springs 3| and 32, the ends 33, of which are connected to the eyes 34, secured to the under side 34, of plate 20. The ends 36, of the springs are connected to eyes 31, on the upper part of the inner side 28, of the Wall l2, whereby when the door is pulled outwardly by its knob 39, the said springs 3| and 32, will draw the plate 20, outwardly until the edge 21, thereof abuts the flange or stop 40, depending from the edge 4|, of wall [3. In this position the bores 22 and I4, and the slots'23 and t6, exactly align, as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings, and in which position a key 42, and chain 43, may be dropped through the openings into the box and be held suspended therein by the tag 44, having indicia 45, thereon indicating the car or person to which it belongs. This tag 44, must be of somewhat greater diameter than the said bores 22 and I4, so that it cannot pass said bores.

After the key or keys are inserted the door 28, is closed causing it to push member 25 (which was projected outwardly of the door opening, when the plate 20, moved outwardly) back into the cabinet and with it moving said plate 20, inwardly againsttension' of said springs. This action causes the bores 22, to move out of alignment with bores l4, and at the same time shoves the key chains 43, to the rear ends of the slots l6, causing the edges 45, of the tags 44, to drop into grooves I1, whereby they will beheld in vertical position, through the weight of the chain and key, and whereby the indicia on the tags may be easily read. This latter relative position of the plate 20, and wall I3, is clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, and locks the keys within the cabinet. A latch 41, is provided on the edge 48, of the door which latch is controlled by a lock 49, whereby the cabinet may be secured against unauthorized persons. Links may be substituted for the springs 3| and 32, and attached to the door in which case the plate 20, will be actuated in both directions by the opening and closing of the door, and which will also obviate manual holding of the'door and plate 20, against the tension of the springs and in this case the member 25, may be eliminated.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the 3 drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described our invention that which we c1aim,as, new and desire to procureby Letters Patent is':' if 1 i 5 I A cabinet for" holding keys with attached chains and identification disks comprising a re- H ceptacle having four interconnected sides, a bottom and a top, said top being formed with aper tures having T-shaped extensions through which keys may be dropped, guide rails on the inner is closed to disalign said apertures thereby locking the keys in said receptacle.

CHARLES I. POULSEN. HENRY F. ROSE. 

